Wrench



July 13, 1926. 4

. A. K. ERSLAND WRENCH Filed August 11 1925 INVENTOR Anos ff ERSLAMD WITNESSES ATTORNEYS ZBY Patented July 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES AMOS K. ERSLAND, BUHL, IDAHO.

WRENCH;

Application filed August 11, 1925. Serial No. 49,592.

My present invention relates generally to wrenches, and presents more particularly a wrench of that type wherein jaws are opposed between the. outer ends of shanks with which the jaws are preferably integral. At their opposite ends the shanks are pivotally connected whereby one at least may swing toward and away from the other to vary space between the aws.

My primary object is the provision of means in connection with the shanks to adjustably limit movement of the jaws away from one another and more especially such means capable of bringing about a sulficiently fine adjustment for all ordinary purposes.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates my present invention and forms a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a side view of my improved wrench,

Figure 2 is an edge view,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section,

Figure 4 is a detail sectional side view of certain parts thereof, and

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the adjusting clip.

Referring now to these figures, my invention proposes a wrench including a shank having at one end a handle 11 preferably made integral therewith and of hollow form adapting the said handle to receive and house the adjacent end of the'other shank 12. At its oppositev end, shank 1O vhas a jaw 13 opposite the jaw 14 of the free end of the second shank 12.

The handle entering end of the shank 12 is pivoted therein by a pivot pin 15, and is, thus in pivotal connection with the handle end of the shank 10, permitting the shank 12 to swing toward and away from the shank 10, whereby to vary the space between the jaws 13 and 14. The jaws are normally held in spaced apart relation by means of a bOW spring 16 engaging the inner face of shank 10 and attached at its center as at 17 to a slide 18 shiftable lengthwise of and upon the shank 12.

Adjacent to its jaw 13, the shank 10 has a laterally outstandin guide frame 19 in which the shank 12 is swingable, said guide frame 19 terminating in a cross bar 20 beyond the outer side of the shank 12 whereby to serve as a bearing for a jaw adjusting wedge 21 formed in connection with the slide 18 and shiftable therewith lengthwise of shank 12.

The outer face of the wedge member 21 is stepped as at 22 and being movable between the shank 12 and the cross bar 20, this wedge is capable of presenting to the cross bar any selected step thereof whereby to adjustably limit opening movement of the jaws under tension of spring 16.

Naturally the steps of the wedge member may be made quite small to increase the range of adjustment, but I prefer to mount on the cross bar 20 a. clip 23 formed of thin metal and movable to and from that portion of the cross bar with which the steps 22 of the wedge member engage. Thus with the clip 23 111 the position shown in Figure 3, it is engaged by the wedge member while in the position shown in Figure 4:, the wedge member engages the cross bar 20, and thus the jaws open slightly wider than in Figure 3.

In this manner two adjustments are permitted for each step of the wedge member, thus increasing the range of adjusting without interfering in any respect with the natural and apparent strength and durability of the wrench. My improved wrench may be easily adjusted, is handy and useful, and is furthermore economical and efiective.

I claim 1. A wrench comprising a fixed shank having a handle, a shank movable in connection with the handle and swingable toward and away from the fixed shank, said shanks having jaws at their free ends, a guide frame carried by the fixed shank adjacent to its jawin which frame the other shank moves, said frame having an outer cross bar, a stepped wedge member adjustable along the movable shank and having a series of surfaces engageable flatwise against the said cross bar of said guide frame, and an adjusting member shiftable on said cross bar and adapted to be interposed between the cross bar and the steps of said wedge member.

2. A wrench comprising a shank having a handle at one end and a jaw at its opposite end and having a laterally outstanding guide frame adjacent to the jaw including an outer cross bar, a second shank pivoted at one end to the handle end of the first shank and having at its opposite end a jaw opposing the first jaw, said second shank being movable in said guide frame, a stepped wedge block slidable 0n the outer face of the second shank and movable between the same and a portion of said guide frame to hold the second shank in adjust ably spaced relation to the first shank, and a spacing member adjustable on said cross bar of said frame and movable into and out of effective position between the several stepped surfaces of the wedge block and the Q wedge engaging port-ion of said guide frame, said spacing member being of less thickness than the widths of the steps of said Wedge block.

AMOS K. ERSLAND. 

